Cockroach Threats Lake Worth Homes Face

August 31, 2018

Everyone knows that cockroaches are disgusting pests to have lurking in a home, but not everyone knows the many health risks associated with having a cockroach infestation. Since there are many different species of problematic roaches here in Lake Worth, it is important to educate yourself on the different types of roaches as well as the dangers they bring when they get into your home!

German Cockroaches: Adult German cockroaches are easily recognized by their light brown or tan coloring and the two black horizontal stripes located just behind the head. Younger German roaches are darker in color but also have the black stripe markings. The adults can grow from ½” to ⅝” in length and though they do have wings, they rarely fly. Studies indicate that in metropolitan areas, the development of asthma in children is linked to the presence of German roaches.

Asian Cockroaches: These roaches have a very similar appearance to German cockroaches as they both have light brown coloring and two parallel lines behind their head. These roaches are also similar in size, though Asian roaches are slightly larger at ⅝” to 1” long. These roaches have wings and are able to fly. The waste and bodily fluids that these pests excrete may make the flavor and smell of foods unpleasant.

American Cockroaches: American cockroaches measure at around 1-½” to 2” and are reddish-brown or mahogany in color. Though these roaches can be easily identified by their large size, their most distinctive feature is the yellowish colored figure-8 shaped marking that outlines the area behind their heads.

Australian Cockroaches: Australian cockroaches measure approximately 1-¼” in length and are reddish-brown to dark brown in color. These roaches are often confused with American cockroaches due to their similar size and the yellowish-colored markings on their heads; however, unlike the American roach’s figure-8 marking, Australian roaches have a circular band around the edge of the top of their head that surrounds a darker colored spot. They also have yellow markings at the front edge of each of their wings which extend over their abdomen and are able to fly. When they invade homes, Australian cockroaches can contaminate pantry goods, feed on houseplants, and breed rapidly.

Brown-Banded Cockroaches: These are one of the smallest species of home-invading roaches found in Florida, only reaching around ½” in length. Adult brown-banded roaches have light brown or tan colored transverse bands on their wings, while the nymphs have these same bands across their bodies. These roaches will feed on anything from garbage to books, drapes, wallpaper, and even nylon stockings!

Problems Roaches Cause In Lake Worth Homes

Diseases: The World Health Organization says cockroaches are proven or suspected carriers of organisms that can cause diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, leprosy, plague, typhoid fever and viral diseases such as poliomyelitis. It is estimated that roaches are able to spread over 32 kinds of bacteria as well as six different parasitic worms.

Horrors: There have been incidents of roaches crawling into the ears of sleeping people. One woman in Florida went to the hospital after nine days of pain in her ear only to find that a cockroach had lodged itself in her ear while she was sleeping. The ER doctors who treated her said that this occurrence is not uncommon.

Bites: When their populations are high enough and food sources are scarce, roaches in search of food will sometimes bite humans, usually on the eyelids, as they like nibbling on eyelashes.

Some Do-It-Yourself Strategies To Keep Roaches Out

Trim back any areas of overgrown vegetation in your yard, especially around the perimeter of your home. Roaches use weeds and overgrowth as hiding spots as well as bridges to gain access to the exterior walls of our homes.

Be sure to store all of your outdoor trash in tightly-sealed containers. This will help keep the smells of your garbage from attracting cockroaches and many other different pests to your property.

Examine your exterior walls and foundation and seal up any gaps, cracks, or holes that you find. Cockroaches have the ability to compact their bodies to squeeze through very tight spaces, so they only need a small gap in order to get inside your home.

Keep your home as clean and as free of food particles as possible.

Store all food items either in the fridge or freezer or in sealed packages or containers in order to keep these bacteria-ridden pests out. Storing food items in plastic or glass containers the best course of action as cockroaches can chew through cardboard, paper, and thin plastic.For more tips on preventing cockroaches, go here.

How Nozzle Can Help

If you suspect you have cockroaches in your home, or especially if you have actually seen a live roach, it is important to take action against these pests in order to rid them from your home completely. Cockroaches are filthy pests and bring many problems into homes when they invade, so it is best to reach out to the professionals at the first signs of an infestation. Reach out to the professional pest controllers here at Nozzle Nolen today and ask about our residential pest control options, and find out how we can help your home become roach-free once and for all! Give us a call at Nozzle Nolen today!

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Denise - South FL

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